Embassy of Switzerland to Sri Lanka and the Maldives

On🌱 🌍 World Environment Day, we were delighted to plant a Na Tree, the National Tree of 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka in front of the 🇨🇭 Swiss Embassy, symbolizing our shared commitment to protecting and nurturing the environment.

We would like to thank Vidya Abhayagunawardena, a neighbour of the Embassy, who generously planted seven trees along R.G. Senanayake Road today. Vidya’s dedication and care for the community are a wonderful reminder that small actions can make a lasting difference.

Together, through simple acts of stewardship and kindness, we can help create greener, healthier and more beautiful surroundings for everyone.

Pop. It started in Switzerland.

In 1957, Swiss engineer Marc Chavannes co-invented what we now know as bubble wrap. The original idea was not to protect goods, but to create a textured wallpaper.
While the concept did not succeed in its initial form, it was quickly repurposed. Its light, flexible and shock-absorbing properties made it ideal for protecting fragile items during transport.

Today, it has become a global standard in packaging, illustrating how an unexpected shift in use can turn a failed idea into a widely adopted solution.

Did you know Switzerland is so well connected by train you can travel across the entire country in just a few hours? 🚆🇨🇭
In around 4 hours, you can travel from Geneva to St. Gallen by train, crossing Switzerland from west to east through lakes, vineyards, mountains and cow-filled fields along the way. 🐄
Thanks to its dense network, travelling across Switzerland by train is simple and efficient. One of the easiest ways to explore the country!

For 47 years, since 1978, Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation contributed to development efforts in Sri Lanka by supporting sustainable rural development, strengthening communities, promoting safe labour migration, advancing peacebuilding initiatives and empowering youth.

As Helvetas concludes its engagement in Sri Lanka, the Helvetas Legacy Report reflects on key achievements, challenges, lessons learned and recommendations for the future, while documenting three decades of contributions and partnerships across Sri Lanka.

As we reflect on the Helvetas legacy in Sri Lanka, we extend our gratitude to the many government institutions, civil society organisations, communities, and individuals whose collaboration, insights and commitment made this journey possible.

We thank Shanka Dharmapala, Country Representative and Avishka Kapugeekiyana, Communications and Knowledge Management Coordinator, of Helvetas Sri Lanka for their dedication and contributions to this process.

Helvetas Sri Lanka

Today, on the International Day for Biological Diversity, we celebrate the unique flora of Switzerland.

From alpine legends to fragile mountain ecosystems, Switzerland’s flora is deeply woven into the country’s identity, traditions, and landscapes. 🌿 These iconic flowers are more than postcard symbols; they are part of the rich biodiversity that shapes life in the Alps.

Discover the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces… 🍇🇨🇭
Spanning over 800 hectares, Lavaux is Switzerland’s largest continuous vineyard region and is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2007.
Overlooking Lake Geneva and the Alps, its iconic hillside terraces are rooted in a centuries-old tradition shaped by generations of winegrowers.
Thanks to the famous “three suns”: direct sunlight, lake reflections, and heat stored in the stone walls, Lavaux wines have a truly distinctive character. ☀️

🌼 Among chocolate, mountains, and cows, the edelweiss stands as one of Switzerland’s most iconic symbols. 🇨🇭

You can find it on the 5-franc coin, on military insignia, and even in the logo of a Swiss airline. Today, it grows in the Alps at 2,000 to 3,000 meters of altitude, on exposed limestone slopes, where it withstands strong winds and intense sunlight. 🏔️

However, the edelweiss is not originally from the Alps: it is believed to have migrated from Asia during the Ice Age. 🌏

In the 19th century, it became a symbol of courage, as picking it often required climbing steep and dangerous rock faces. With the rise of tourism, the flower was threatened by over-picking. While it is no longer considered endangered at the federal level, it remains protected in several cantons.

Considered “kitsch” in the 20th century, it experienced a revival in the 1990s, driven by renewed interest in tradition and authenticity. Today, the edelweiss represents simplicity, quality, and a deep connection to the Alpine landscape.

Turquoise waters and wild alpine beauty…discover the green heart of Ticino! 🇨🇭 💚

Nestled in the canton of Ticino, north of Lake Maggiore, the Verzasca Valley stretches over 25 kilometres.

From the 220-metre-high Contra Dam in Vogorno to Sonogno’s 70-metre waterfall, the valley is packed with dramatic scenery! 💦

At its heart, Lavertezzo’s iconic Ponte dei Salti, a graceful double-arched stone bridge over 400 years old, contrasts beautifully with the rugged landscape.

Flowing through the Swiss Alps, the Verzasca River dazzles with its emerald-green clarity, shaped by glacial meltwater and minerals from the surrounding rocks.

🇨🇭 What comes to mind when you think of Switzerland? Cows, mountains… or watches? ⌚

Swiss watchmaking began with tower clocks and pocket watches between the 14th and 16th centuries.

In the 16th century, Jean Calvin banned ostentatious jewellery but encouraged clocks to help regulate religious life. Genevan jewellers then partnered with French refugee watchmakers, combining decorative craftsmanship with technical expertise to create smaller, more refined watches.

The spread of watchmaking from Geneva to the Jura Arc region marked a turning point.

In the late 17th century, Daniel Jeanrichard of Le Locle played a key role in developing watchmaking’s division of labour, known as “établissage”. In this decentralized system, specialists, including Jura farmers idle in winter, produced standardized components that were later assembled in a central location. ⚙️

In the 1970s, quartz technology and foreign competition triggered a crisis in the Swiss watch industry.

In response, the Swiss watch industry reinvented itself: Swatch, launched by Nicolas G. Hayek in the 1980s, developed affordable, stylish watches, while traditional brands repositioned mechanical watches as luxury symbols of craftsmanship and status.

Switzerland is home to more than 700 watchmaking companies and six schools dedicated to training future watchmakers. 🎓

The craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking and art mechanics has been inscribed on UNESCO's List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2020.

On 🇪🇺, a reminder that Switzerland and the EU are connected in more ways than borders.
People, ideas, and opportunities move across them every day.
Discover how closely intertwined these links really are 👇